Learning Experience 1

Air Takes Up Space - Tissue in a Cup!

Rationale
The Upside-Down Cup demonstrates that air takes up space. Students are challenged to devise a way to
submerge a tissue in water in such a way as it does not get wet. The solution is to stuff the tissue into the
bottom of a cup, which is then held in the water upside-down. t the end of the lesson students should
know air is made up of matter, which occupies space even though you cannot see it. Students have had
prior learning on other gases.
Outcomes and Indicators
Science & Technology INV S3.7
- Conducts their own investigations and makes !udgements based on the results of observing,
"uestioning, planning, predicting, testing, collecting, recording and analysing data, and drawing
on conclusions.
Maths WMS3.2
- Selects and applies appropriate problem-solving strategies, including technological applications,
in undertaking investigations
Resources
- tissues
- plastic cups
- basin of water #make sure water is a least as deep as the cup$
ITRO!UCTIO " #$ mins%
- Tell the students they have tissues, cups and a basin of water and their aim is to find a way to
submerge the tissues into the water without getting the tissues wet.
- s a class get the students to predict what they think will work%won&t and why
&O!' " #() minutes%
- 'n small groups get the students to try different methods of submerging the tissues into the water.
(ive them one cup each, a few tissues and a bowl of water. )et the students work together to
find the solution
- *ave the students record their results in a table of what they tried and what the result was.
- +nce the students have had a few different attempts get them to clean up their desks and come
sit on the floor for a class discussion
CONSOLIDATION/ASSSSMNT ! " #in$tes%
- Discuss if they found a way to submerge the tissues without wetting them wet.
- Discuss what they tried that didn&t work.
- 'f the students did not find a solution show it to them.
- Discuss why it worked when u placed the tissues at the bottom of the cup and submerged it in
the water upside down
- *ave the students use the computers to investigate why it worked and provide evidence to back
their ideas up.
- Share findings with the class and discuss
- (et the students go back to their desk and write one or two sentences about what they learnt for
evaluation.
Assessment Strategies
Observation:
- Did students understand how the air
worked to keep the tissue dry,
- Did the students use different methods to
work out ways to keep the tissue dry,
Lesson E*aluation
- -as the activity long enough,
- Should there be added activities for this
section,
- Did all the students understand the lesson,
- -ere there enough resources for the
- Did the students work well as part of a
team,
- Did the students understand that air is
made of mass,
learning outcome,
- -ere the students engaged,
- -as the lesson to hard%easy for the students,